A Year in the Life of Leroy Jethro Gibbs
by julesmonster
Summary: After Tony meets the man of his dreams, Gibbs begins to think that it might just be time for him to give love another try. When reporter Shawn Hunter walks into the squad room, Gibbs definitely takes notice. Sequel to A Year in the Life of Tony DiNozzo.
1. Chapter 1

**A Year in the Life of Leroy Jethro Gibbs**

**by Julesmonster**

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary: **After Tony meets the man of his dreams, Gibbs begins to think that it might just be time for him to give love another try. When reporter Shawn Hunter walks into the squad room, Gibbs definitely takes notice. Sequel to A Year in the Life of Tony DiNozzo.

**A/N: **I had such unexpected responses to my story A Year in the Life of Tony DiNozzo that I was inspired to continue the arc even before finishing that story. I even listened to a few suggestions about who I could pair Gibbs with and attempted to put together a story I liked. What made the first story fun, however, was the unexpected nature of the pairing and I wanted to continue that with the sequel. For that reason, I went with someone completely different from anything I've ever read before.

I'm not sure that many people still remember Boy Meets World, but it was one of My favorite shows when it was on. I always adored Shawn's character. He had so many issues and insecurities and yet he was still so lovable. I thought, what would he be like now, 12 years later? This story is the result.

I hope you enjoy this short piece. There are only 4 chapters. Jules

**GHGHGHGHGH**

Shawn Hunter was the cockiest SOB that Gibbs had ever met. Given that Gibbs knew Tony DiNozzo, that was saying something. The kid swaggered into the NCIS bullpen with a smug expression that screamed impudence. Gibbs hated him on first sight. But he was also inexplicably drawn to the young man from the moment he walked into his life.

"I'm looking for Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Shawn had said with a smile that had Janie Garret, the newest member of the MCRT practically swooning.

Beside her, Tony had snorted with amusement and then pointed to where Gibbs was stonily observing the interplay. Shawn had nodded his thanks before coming over to introduce himself. "I'm Shawn Hunter, Agent Gibbs. I'm a reporter for the Washington Post. I've been assigned to tag along with your team for the next two weeks."

Gibbs grunted. He'd known about the deal the SecNav had struck with the Editor in Chief of the internationally read paper to keep a foiled terrorist plot quiet. Orders had been passed down and Gibbs was now stuck with this… reporter. That didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

"Don't mind him," Tony said, stepping up to handle the protocol. "Agent Gibbs is not really a people person. We aren't on a case currently, so why don't I give you a tour and introduce you to a few key people?"

Shawn Hunter allowed himself to be led away, but his eyes drifted back to Gibbs before the elevator doors closed.

"He's really hot," Shawn muttered, unaware he was speaking out loud.

Tony snorted. "Gibbs? Wow. That's…. Just wow."

"You disagree?" Shawn asked. His gaydar had gone off the first time he set eyes on the taller man who now shared the elevator, and he was rarely wrong about things like that.

"I don't disagree," Tony said with a frown. "Though that's kind of weird. I mean, Gibbs is like… an uncle or older brother or something. Ew. No, that's not why I was amused."

Shawn gave him a penetrating look. "Then why?"

"Because Gibbs is like the straightest man I've ever met." Tony said. "Did you miss the big tough ex-marine exterior? He also despises reporters almost as much as he hates lawyers—three divorces will do that to a man. "

Shawn chuckled as the elevator doors slid open. "Three marriages? Sounds like he's overcompensating for something."

Tony stopped dead in his tracks until the elevator door started to close on him. "That's just…"

Tony shook his head, unable to even finish that thought. Instead he led the way to autopsy and concentrated on introducing Shawn Hunter around.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

"Hunter!" Gibbs barked out. "Get your ass over here!"

Shawn frowned as he left the dead marine's wife to answer Gibbs' summons. "You bellowed?"

"What did I say about talking to witnesses?" Gibbs demanded.

"Not to," Shawn shrugged. "But she's not actually a witness."

"No, but she is a suspect," Gibbs said. "If you can't follow orders, you're out of here. I don't care what the SecNav says. I will not have you compromising my investigation. Got it?"

"Got it," Shawn muttered. He knew that Gibbs would carry through with his threat and wasn't prepared to leave without his story. It had been like this for the last three days, however, and Shawn was tired of the constant barking and sniping. He was bored to tears. He wasn't allowed to breathe without permission. Then again, at least Gibbs was good looking. And there was something about the man looked at him that sent shivers up and down his spine.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

"Hunter," Gibbs snapped. "With me. The rest of you go home. I don't wanna see your faces until Monday."

Shawn looked a bit surprised, but hastily grabbed his messenger bag and jacket and followed Gibbs to the elevator. "Where are we going?"

"For drinks," Gibbs said. "And then you're going to tell me what the hell kind of story you are writing that has you following my team around for two weeks."

Shawn smirked. "Shouldn't you have asked that Monday?"

"Didn't care Monday," Gibbs said bluntly.

"But you do now?" Shawn asked.

"Had time to read some of your work," Gibbs said with a shrug. "You can write."

"I should hope so," Shawn said lightly. "Otherwise I'd wonder why they pay me."

Gibbs glared at him, but didn't say anything else as he led the young reporter off of the base and to a nearby bar that the team frequented. He wasn't sure why he had invited the kid for drinks, but there was something about Shawn Hunter that made Gibbs take a second, third and even fourth look. It was admiration for the things the kid had seen and done and lived to write about, but it was more than that. And after four nights of brooding and working on the boat, Gibbs had decided that it was time to figure out what that more meant.

Once they had arrived at the bar, Gibbs led Shawn to a quiet corner table and ordered a bourbon from the waitress. Shawn ordered a beer. He was not one for overindulging. After seeing the battle his father had gone through to control his drinking, Shawn had no intention of ever falling into that same trap. So he would have one or two beers or glasses of wine to be social, but always switched to water or soda after that.

"So?" Gibbs asked once their drinks had been delivered.

"So," Shawn responded. Gibbs glared at him and he grinned. "Oh, this is the part where I'm supposed to tell you all my deep dark secrets. I hate to break it to you but I don't make a habit of spilling my guts."

Gibbs snorted. "I can understand that. Tell me about the article."

Shawn paused and swigged at his beer before speaking. "The article… is basically a fluff piece. Good PR for your agency and…"

"And?"

Shawn shrugged. "An excuse for my editor to get me out of the war zone for a while. Maybe permanently."

"Why?"

"You were a marine, right?" Shawn asked. Gibbs nodded. "You see any action?"

"A fair bit," Gibbs said.

"Yeah," Shawn nodded and took another drink. "You have that look. I've seen a fair bit myself. I started out writing freelance stuff when I lived in France with my girlfriend at the time. When we broke it off, I ended up travelling for a while. Then 9/11 happened and I ended up over in the Middle East. The Post took me on full time as a correspondent and I've pretty much covered everything from Kabul to Tikrit to Bagdad.

"I spent almost six months with a unit along the Durand Line," Shawn continued. "That was a pretty hellish time. Anyway, it's been almost fifteen years of nothing but travel and war and I'm thoroughly sick of it. So I asked to come home. This is sort a trial piece to see if I can hack it in the civilized world."

"How old are you?" Gibbs wondered.

"36," Shawn told him.

"So you've spent your entire adult life as a nomad in war torn countries?" Gibbs asked.

"Yep," Shawn agreed and finished off his drink. Gibbs signaled the waitress for another round. "Cory and Topanga have been begging me to come home for years." At Gibbs' blank look Shawn smiled. "Cory's been my best friend since kindergarten. And Topanga is his wife. They like to say they fell in love in the sandbox when they were three. Anyway, they've both been itching for me to settle down and join the domesticated collective."

"They probably just worry about you," Gibbs offered.

"Probably," Shawn said and there was a flash of guilt in his eyes before he closed himself off again. "Never had much stability growing up. I'm not sure I could stay in one place for more than a few months if I tried. What about you? Tony told me you've been married three times?"

"Four," Gibbs corrected quietly. "Divorced three times. Widowed once."

"Oh. I'm sorry," Shawn said with genuine remorse.

"Came back from Iraq during the first war to find that my wife and daughter had been killed," Gibbs said. "Got out not long after that and joined NCIS. Figured it was about time to protect the home front."

Shawn could hear all the things left unsaid, like the fact that Gibbs felt guilty for not being here to protect his family when it counted. He also could see that Gibbs had suffered for a long time but was at a point where he was beginning to heal enough to consider moving on. Shawn wondered if the three ex-wives were Gibbs' misguided attempt to replace his first wife. Maybe Tony had been right and Gibbs was the straightest man alive, but Shawn's gaydar had never been wrong before.

"You want to get out of here?" Gibbs asked as he tossed back the rest of his second drink.

"Sure," Shawn said. He was surprised to find that he was disappointed to have the evening end so soon. He had been attracted to Gibbs from the very beginning, and that attraction had not been muted at all by the fact that Gibbs could be a complete and utter bastard. But now, there was this other side to him. He was still gruff, but the glimpse of the person behind the walls intrigued Shawn and made him want the man even more.

They walked back to the Navy Yard and talked a little bit about some of the places they had each seen. Gibbs had spent some time in Paris in the 90's and they talked about some of their favorite restaurants and sites. When they reached the parking area, Shawn headed for his car but and was about to say goodnight when Gibbs stopped him.

"Follow me to my place," Gibbs said. It wasn't a question, but it wasn't an order either.

Either way, Shawn was glad to have the night continue and smiled. "Sure."

**GHGHGHGHGH**

Gibbs wasn't entirely sure what had prompted the invitation, but now that Shawn was in his home, he was glad to have the younger man there. Gibbs had ordered food on the way and there was a pizza delivery person waiting for them when they arrived. Gibbs paid for the food and then led Shawn inside. Shawn was surprised when Gibbs didn't stop in the living room or kitchen, but led Shawn down the steps to the basement. Even more surprising was the half built boat there. "You're building a boat in your basement?"

Gibbs smirked. "Yep." He set the pizza and a six pack of beer he'd grabbed from the fridge on the workbench.

Shawn looked around the large room. "And how are you going to get it out when it's done?"

"Same way I got the last two out," Gibbs said cryptically. He handed Shawn a beer and then opened one for himself. Shawn looked at the beer indecisively. Maybe this one time it wouldn't hurt to break his two beer rule. They dug into the pizza and chatted more about places they had been and some of the people they had met in their travels. Once the pizza was gone, Gibbs went to work on his boat and Shawn was surprised once again by the man before him. Rather than using power tools, Gibbs was doing everything by hand. Shawn watched in fascination as they continued to talk.

While they talked, Gibbs once again examined his motives for inviting the younger man. There was something about the world-weary young man that reached past all the normal barriers Gibbs had to protect his heart. He wasn't sure where this was heading, but he was willing for once to find out. The fact that Shawn was a man was unnerving in some ways, but Gibbs knew that when it came right down to it, gender didn't really matter when it came to matters of the heart and the more time he spent with Shawn the more sure he was that there was a potential for something very special between them. Not one to second-guess his gut, Gibbs decided that he would go along with it. After all, he had long ago accepted that sexual attraction had more to do with the person than their physical attributes. The string of redheads had taught him that.

Eventually Gibbs set aside the plane he was using and poured some bourbon into a mug. He offered Shawn some but the younger man declined. "I don't drink anything but beer and wine. And I already drank more beer tonight than I ever do."

Gibbs nodded his acceptance of that and shot back his drink. He'd known many children of alcoholics with similar rules. He wondered if Shawn's father had been the alcoholic or his mother. Or both, as in Tony's case.

"So, you gonna stay the night?" Gibbs asked.

Shawn froze. "Um…"

Gibbs smirked and stepped forward to invade Shawn's personal space. "You can tell me that I've been reading this situation wrong, but I'm pretty sure I'm right."

Shawn shook his head to clear it but then smiled. "Tony was so sure you're straight he almost had me believing it."

"Never done this before," Gibbs said as he wrapped his arms around the younger man and pulled their bodies close. He was happy to feel the way their bodies seemed to align perfectly. It felt more right than he would have ever believed before meeting Shawn. "I figure there's a first time for everything."

"Then I'm honored to be the first," Shawn said breathlessly. There was no more room for words after that because Gibbs' mouth was on his and it was the most erotic and sensual experience of either man's life. The kisses seemed to last forever, but eventually they had to part to breathe. "Yeah, I'm staying the night."

Gibbs smirked and led Shawn up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Two**

Tony held Zach's hand as they entered Gibbs' house on Saturday morning. Zach was still a little uneasy about invading the man's space. "Are you sure we shouldn't knock?"

"It's fine," Tony said. He led Zach through the living room and spotted Gibbs in the kitchen. "Hey, Jethro. Zach and I stopped by to see if you wanted…"

Tony's invitation screeched to a halt when he saw that Gibbs was not alone. It was not the first time Tony had found a person sitting in Gibbs' kitchen on a Saturday morning, but this was the first time that person was male. And it was pretty obvious that the guest had spent the night. Gibbs was wearing only a pair of jeans, his chest on display and the guest was wearing a pair of Gibbs' USMC sweat pants.

"Shawn?" Tony sputtered out.

"Hey Tony," Shawn said with a grin. "And you must be Zach?"

Shawn stood and held out his hand to the other man. Zach took it and said, "Yes. And you are Shawn Hunter. Tony has told me of your visit to NCIS." 

Tony, meanwhile, was shifting his openmouthed gape from Shawn to Gibbs and back again.

"Close your mouth DiNozzo," Gibbs barked but there was amusement sparkling in his blue eyes.

"Yes, Boss," Tony said on instinct. Then it finally sank in what he was seeing. "Um, Jethro, Can I have a word?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes but nodded. He led the way down the steps to the basement. Tony closed the door behind them. "Are you out of your mind?"

Now Gibbs frowned. "I would think you of all people would be supportive."

Tony opened and closed his mouth a few times but then sighed. "I am. You know that. But this is one hell of a step to take and after only a week…"

"Never been one to overanalyze things," Gibbs shrugged.

"Hence the three divorces," Tony said.

Gibbs glared. "Watch it."

Tony grimaced. "Sorry. That was uncalled for. But have you thought this through? Shawn is a drifter. He's not going to stick around. I thought you were looking for something more permanent this time?"

"I am," Gibbs said. "And maybe there are issues, but he's… special."

"He's a lot younger," Tony pointed out.

"Zach's younger than you." Gibbs countered.

"I'm not old enough to be Zach's father," Tony said.

"Fifteen years," Gibbs muttered as he stomped over to the workbench and looked like he wanted to throw something. "Damn it! Don't you think I know all this?"

Tony sighed again. "I'm sorry. I'm just concerned. I don't want to see you hurt."

"Yeah, well, I'm a big boy, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "I know there are a thousand things that could and probably will go wrong, but I like the kid. I'd like the chance to see where this takes us."

Tony smiled ruefully. "Well, you know I'll be here for you no matter what happens."

"I do," Gibbs said.

"Good," Tony said.

"So what were you about to say when you first came in," Gibbs asked.

Tony frowned and then recalled why they had come. "Right, well, Zach and I are heading to the Maryland State Fair and wondered if you wanted to go. They're supposed to have some pretty interesting woodworking displays."

"I'll ask Shawn," Gibbs said. "If he wants to go, we'll have to stop off at his hotel first."

"No real rush, I guess," Tony said.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

Shawn was rather enthusiastic about going to the fair, so they headed over to his hotel on the way out of town. Gibbs convinced the man to check out of his room. "You can stay with me. Either things will work and you'll stay or they won't and you'll find a place of your own. No sense wasting money on a hotel in the meantime."

The four men spent most of the day looking around the various exhibits, but Tony and Shawn both insisted that they at least ride a few rides before the end of the day. And then there were the carnival games. After Tony had spent more than thirty bucks trying to win something for his partner with no success, Zach walked away with a huge stuffed gorilla that he won with one try at the ring toss game much to everyone but Tony's amusement.

"How in the world did you do that?" Tony asked. "I mean, come on! Those games are all made to be super hard to win!" Gibbs, who had won a teddy bear for Shawn at the rifle range snorted. "That's different. You were a sniper."

"The ring toss is not very different in technique than horseshoes," Zach stated. "I was rather good at that game growing up in Michigan. It was just a matter of adjusting the kinetic energy to accommodate for the lighter rope rings. Trajectory and velocity are fairly constant."

"Just how good at horseshoes were you?" Shawn asked curiously.

Zach shrugged. "There was a league that my father would drag us all to. I held the top position in the league for a few years."

"A league?" Gibbs asked.

"The league was made up of individuals and teams from four states," Zach said. "I was invited to several national tournaments but they interfered with my school work."

"How old were you?" Tony asked. He knew his fiancé was pretty young when he left for college.

"Thirteen to fifteen," Zach said, "though I competed in the adult class after my first year."

"He's a ringer on the ring toss," Shawn said with a laugh. "Come on, I want to do the basketball shoot."

Shawn ended up winning and chose a small basketball keychain as his prize which he then presented to Gibbs. Gibbs smirked and hooked his keys onto the chain.

Tony watched the other couple throughout the day and had to admit that Gibbs was a lot more open and affectionate with Shawn than Tony would have expected. There was no hand-holding or public kisses, but Gibbs would touch Shawn's shoulder or share a small smile with the younger man. And that was another thing Tony noted. Gibbs smiled a lot more with Shawn than with any of the women Tony had ever seen Gibbs date. This might just be the beginning of their relationship, but Tony was willing to admit that maybe the younger man might be good for his friend.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

The second week of Shawn Hunter's visit to NCIS was exactly like the first. Shawn wasn't surprised, really. Jethro Gibbs was a stubborn man and hated having his routine disrupted. The fact that they were sleeping together every night didn't change that one bit. Gibbs was just glad that the younger man seemed to accept this about him and was more amused than offended when he told Shawn to back off on more than one occasion.

Tony was entertained by the antics of Gibbs and his latest lover. Whenever Gibbs would bark at Shawn, Shawn simply smirked at him and shot back some smart remark. He never once allowed Gibbs to intimidate him, nor did he stop pushing the boundaries. He never went so far as to really piss Gibbs off, but it was enough to keep him on his toes, something only Tony had ever previously been able to do and get away with it. Abby, Tim, Janie, Ducky and Palmer were all witness to this remarkable phenomenon, but were totally baffled by the reason for such a marvel. Not one of them guessed that there was a relationship building between the young reporter and the senior agent.

Gibbs, for his part, was enjoying the mostly flirtatious banter between them. He had found that Shawn was a strong-minded and determined man and he refused to allow Gibbs to push him around. That held true both in public and in private. It was one of the things that made Jethro believe that they might have a chance of making something of this, despite Shawn's misgivings about his ability to settle down and Gibbs' misgivings about the 20 year age difference.

And then the story was written and Shawn was given a new assignment that took him away from DC for more than a week. Gibbs took his absence in stride and Shawn made a point of calling every day from various hotel rooms as he made his way through Haiti. Gibbs listened as Shawn described the political machinations that were causing civil unrest on the island. In turn, he kept Shawn updated on whatever case he was working. Shawn returned to DC for two weeks and then was off to Columbia for almost a month. And each time he left their phone calls got longer and more intimate.

They always ended their phone calls with more personal revelations. Somehow it was easier to talk over the phone with hundreds of miles between them. Gibbs learned about the woman Shawn believed to be his mother running off and how his father had spent entirely too many years chasing after her. He heard about, Jack, the long lost half-brother he had discovered as a teen and who had subsequently run off to Africa. He heard more about Cory and Topanga than was probably necessary. And Shawn told him about never feeling like he had a home of his own and always envying his best friend for the stability he had taken for granted.

Gibbs, uncharacteristically, found talking to Shawn on the phone to be easy. He spent hours talking. He talked about growing up in a small town and some of the difficulties he had with getting along with anyone back then. He talked about losing his mom and then fighting constantly with his dad. He talked about leaving home to join the marines and meeting Shannon on a train platform. He talked about losing his wife and child. And he talked about wasting years chasing after an illusion of happiness that had resulted in three divorces and more regrets than he could count.

"Thanksgiving is next week," Shawn said. "I'll be back from Argentina on Monday. I was wondering if you wanted to go up to Philly with me."

Gibbs was quiet for a moment. "The team's on call on Saturday and Sunday, so I'd have to be back by then. But I could take a couple days off before and we could maybe ride up to Stillwater first and then hit Philly for the actual day."

Shawn sounded stunned when he asked, "You want me to go meet your dad?"

Gibbs' voice was gruff as he said, "Well, you're taking me to meet your family."

Shawn had to think about that but realized that it was true. The Matthews were his family. "Yeah, I guess I am." They were both quiet for a minute. "So my flight gets in at ten in the morning. We could leave then if you wanted."

"I'll let Dad know," Gibbs said. "Then we'll head to Philly on Wednesday."

"And back to DC on Friday," Shawn finished. "Sounds like a plan."

"Yeah."

"I miss you," Shawn said.

"I'm not the one in Argentina," Gibbs countered. He was sorry almost as soon as he said it. He didn't want Shawn to give up his career. He just wished he was around more often. He was starting to understand how hard it was for Shannon every time he'd go off to fight. "I didn't…"

"I know," Shawn sighed. "I'm trying."

"I know." Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't want you to give up your work."

"We'll talk when I get back," Shawn said. "I've got to go. I have a meeting with one of the President's aides in twenty minutes."

"I'll be there to pick you up on Monday," Gibbs said. "And be careful."

"I always am," Shawn said with his irrepressible confidence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part Three**

Jackson was a little surprised to find that the guest his son had brought was a man, but he took it in stride as he took most things in stride. In truth, Jackson had figured that if his son ever chose to be with a man, it would have been Tony, but Tony had his sweet Zach and Jackson was glad that Leroy was at least attempting to find happiness of his own.

Shawn Hunter, in Jackson's opinion, was a great kid. He was a little young—even younger than Tony—but was a smart man and strong enough to call bullshit when Gibbs got into one of his moods. He was also well traveled, handsome and had a sense of humor. Best of all, he made Leroy smile in a way that Jackson hadn't seen since Shannon and Kelly died. All in all, the older man approved of the match.

The couple spent two nights in Stillwater and they had a nice early Thanksgiving together before Gibbs and Shawn headed back south to Philly.

"You'd be more than welcome to join us," Shawn said. "The Matthews would love to have another guest. And we could bring you back up on Friday before heading to DC."

Jackson smiled at the boy but declined. "Thank you, but the widow Johnson is expecting me for the holiday."

"Well, don't make plans for Christmas," Shawn told the older man. "I think Jethro has to work, but we'd love to have you down. And maybe we'll get a chance to stop in Philly on the way back so you can meet everyone."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jackson said as he looked to Leroy.

Gibbs just smiled at his father and nodded. The invitation stood.

They drove down to Philly, only a three hour trip from Stillwater. It would have been less but there really was no direct route so they had to drive east for a ways on Route 80 before taking the Northeast Extension of the Turnpike south into Philly. The closer they got to the small suburb where the Matthews still lived, the more nervous Shawn got. The more nervous he got, the quieter he became.

"What aren't you telling me?" Gibbs finally asked.

Shawn shot him a tense smile. "I told them about you, about us, but they don't really know…" He took a breath. "They don't know that you're older than me."

Gibbs didn't show any outward sign of emotion other than a slight tightening of his hands on the steering wheel. "That's kind of a big deal."

"You didn't tell your father how old I was," Shawn said defensively. "You didn't even tell him I was a man."

Gibbs glared at the cars on the road in front of him for a minute or so but then sighed. "You're right. I suppose that we'll deal with whatever comes up." Shawn seemed to relax with that pronouncement and Gibbs took his hand and pulled it to his lips. "They love you, so they'll want to make this work too."

Shawn nodded and took a deep breath before directing Gibbs to get off at the next exit. The rest of the trip was short and conversation was limited to giving and asking for directions. When they finally pulled to a stop in front of the Matthews' home, Gibbs shut off the car and leaned over to kiss his younger lover gently. They shared a look and a brief smile before they climbed from the car and headed to the front door. They could get their bags later.

"Shawny!" Cory yelled, swinging the door open even before the other man could ring the bell. Then he had Shawn wrapped up in a tight hug.

"Cor," Shawn said with a wide smile. "Man have I missed you."

"I have the best news!" Cory gushed as he backed off a little, but still didn't release his friend. "Topanga's pregnant! You're going to be the godfather, right?"

"Of course!" Shawn agreed laughing and hugging Cory again. "Congratulations!"

The old friends finally tore themselves apart when a female voice called out from behind the door. "God, Cory. You still have the worst manners!" And then the door swung a little wider and there stood Topanga looking as bright and beautiful as ever. "Let them in out of the cold already!"

"Topanga," Shawn said and grabbed her into a fierce hug.

"Hey Shawn," Topanga held him just as tightly but when he loosened his hold, she pulled him into the house and smiled at Gibbs who followed the three younger people. "And you must be Jethro."

"I am," Gibbs said.

Topanga surprised Gibbs by hugging him. Shawn laughed at the look on his lover's face. "Topanga's very affectionate." And then Cory was hugging him too and Shawn laughed even harder. "And so is Cory." Unable to resist temptation, he ended up joining in, creating a group hug.

"Group Hug!" another voice rang out. "And why wasn't I invited?"

A massive body seemed to fly at them and soon they were all toppling over into a pile of bodies on the floor.

"Eric! Get off them!" It took a few minutes for the five people to disentangle, but eventually Gibbs was being offered a hand up by a man just a handful of years older. "Alan Matthews. And you must be Jethro."

Gibbs nodded and took a brief moment to glare at Eric, who meeped in response before scurrying to hide behind Topanga muttering something about not hurting a pregnant woman. Gibbs smirked and turned his attention back to the man in front of him. "Nice to meet you."

Alan glanced between Gibbs and his oldest son and smiled. "How did you do that? You've got to teach me."

"It's some alpha male thing," Shawn told Alan sagely. "I doubt it can be learned."

Alan laughed good naturedly and soon Gibbs was being introduced to Amy, Morgan and Joshua.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

"So," Alan said after dinner that evening. He had wanted a few minutes to talk with Jethro alone, and had come up with the excuse of getting the roaster pan from the garage. Once he had Jethro there, however, he had no idea what to say to him.

Gibbs huffed an amused laugh. "Little awkward vetting the boyfriend when he's almost the same age as you."

Alan chuckled. "Right."

"I won't hurt him," Gibbs said.

Alan smiled a little ruefully. "Shawn does enough of that himself."

Gibbs had to agree. "He does."

"I feel like I should be asking about your intentions," Alan admitted. "But I know Shawn well enough to know that it's more likely his intentions that are the ones in question."

"He's trying," Gibbs said.

"He's living with you?" Alan asked as he shuffled a couple boxes around to get to the roaster.

Gibbs nodded. "When he's not off on assignment."

Alan paused. "Are these assignments at least… less dangerous?"

"Some," Gibbs said.

Alan sighed and sat down on one of the boxes. "I keep hoping that he'll outgrow it, this need to prove himself to the world. He's been taking crazy risks his entire life. We tried to make up for the way his parents were all over the place. We tried to give him some stability, but… Well, maybe he's ready to accept that he doesn't have to prove he's worth loving."

Gibbs grunted. He hoped so.

"You know, he never told us that he's bisexual?" Alan said. "He hid it for the longest time and then one time he came home with a man he'd met in the airport in Cairo. It was like he was challenging us to see if we would reject him. That man meant nothing to him, but he was insistent that they be allowed to share a room."

"How old?" Gibbs asked.

"He was about twenty-five, or twenty-six," Alan said. "Amy and I were pretty adamant that we didn't care if he was with a man or woman. We let it play out and the guy was gone before two days were up. But Shawn's been pretty open about most of his relationships since then. Not that there have been many. Most people won't put up with his need to keep moving."

"Understandably," Gibbs said.

Alan gave Gibbs a long look. "You seem to be handling that pretty well."

"Don't like it," Gibbs admitted. "But I was a married marine once upon a time. I did my share of leaving people behind. I understand the need to go."

"The marine part isn't a surprise, but the married part is," Alan said.

"My first wife and little girl were killed while I was serving overseas," Gibbs said. He saw no reason to hide anything. "I was married and divorced three times after that. Shawn's the first man I've been in a relationship with."

"Huh," Alan said.

"Alan!" Amy called from the back door. "Stop pestering Jethro and bring me that pan!"

Gibbs snorted and followed Alan back into the house.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

"So, we have other news," Topanga said over Thanksgiving dinner the next day. The rest of the family all turned to her. They had already made the big announcement about the baby, so they were all at a loss. Gibbs was seated between their neighbor, George Feeney, and Shawn as he idly listened to the family chatter, but now every eye turned to Topanga and Cory. "My company is doing some reorganizing and—"

"Topanga got a huge promotion," Cory said proudly.

Topanga rolled her eyes. "Yes. But that's not the biggest part of the news."

"Well?" Eric prompted impatiently.

"The new job is in Baltimore," Topanga told them. "So we'll be moving in the next few weeks."

"We'll be a lot closer to DC now," Cory told Shawn. "So you'll be able to see your godchild as often as you want."

"And we'll be a lot closer the family all as well," Topanga added.

"That's great," Shawn said, but Gibbs could see a hint of worry in his eyes.

"What about your job, Cory?" Amy asked.

Cory smiled. "Well, I've already put out a few résumés, and have some interviews lined up with schools in the area, but I probably won't be able to start until next fall. But I'll be able to be home with the baby for a few months after Topanga goes back to work."

"My salary is so much higher and the cost of living so much lower that we'll get by just fine for a while," Topanga said. "We've found a great little house and the closing is in two weeks, so we'll be able to move before Christmas."

The conversation turned to other things, but Shawn stayed a bit quiet for the rest of the meal. No one besides Gibbs seemed to notice.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

"They liked you," Shawn said when they pulled out of the drive on Friday morning.

"They love you," Gibbs retorted. He took a moment to and then asked, "What had you so pensive when you found out your friends are moving to Baltimore?"

"I…" Shawn paused and then sighed. "I'm the worst possible choice for a godfather. And the closer they live, the faster they are going to realize that."

"For such a smart guy you can be an idiot," Gibbs said.

Shawn chuckled at that. "Are you going to head-slap me like you do Tony?"

"Maybe," Gibbs said with a smirk. "You'll be as good or bad a godparent as you choose to be. It's not something that you are or aren't, but something that you choose."

"That's not true," Shawn said, but there was some doubt in his voice.

Gibbs glanced at his lover and frowned. "We can't choose our family, but we can choose our friends. We can choose to surround ourselves with people who makes us miserable or with people who make us happy. We can choose to trust or not. We can choose to let people in or keep them out. We can choose to stay or we can choose to run away."

"That's not—"

"I'm not making a judgment," Gibbs said. "I'm simply stating a fact. I don't have much room to judge anyone. I've made more than my fair share of bad choices in my life. I chose to wallow in my grief for almost 20 years after I lost Shannon and Kelly. I chose to leave them behind time after time when I still had them. I chose to use my ex-wives as replacements for Shannon even though I knew they could never replace her. I chose to shut myself off from the people who cared about me, including my closest friends and my own father who never did a thing to deserve that from me."

Shawn considered that. "You made choices based on painful experiences. You didn't want to repeat that pain." He had done the same over the years.

"But I forgot about the good experiences," Gibbs said. "I forgot how good it is to have someone to share things with."

"You got over it," Shawn said quietly.

"Eventually," Gibbs said. "It was a hard lesson to learn."

"How?"

"Tony," Gibbs said. "He's… he's been through a lot. Not my story to tell, but he showed me that you can get past the hurt. You can move on from the bad choices and make new choices. And the risk of pain is still there, but that risk is worth it because there are so many good things that make it worth it."

Shawn didn't answer. He just sat back and watched the miles between Philly and DC disappear, lost in his own thoughts.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Sorry this is late; the site wouldn't let me log on all day. Well, anyway, here is the final installment of this story. I hope you will enjoy it.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. Your support is greatly appreciated! Jules

* * *

><p><strong>Part Four<strong>

Shawn turned down the next two overseas assignments. He and Gibbs never talked about it, but Shawn needed to see for himself if he would be able to do it. Christmas was a great time. Jackson came down and Tony and Zach came over. Despite the fact that Tony and Gibbs had to go into work Christmas evening, they had a wonderful day. Shawn loved getting to know Jackson and the older man seemed to like Shawn. While Gibbs worked, Jackson spent time telling the young man about Gibbs' youth and even showed him old photo albums.

A couple days after Christmas, once Gibbs could get some time off, they took Jackson back to Stillwater and stopped in Philly to see the Matthews and then on to Baltimore to see Cory and Topanga, who were still getting settled into their new home. Shawn was amazed at how quickly his family had accepted Gibbs as part of his life and how easily Gibbs seemed to accept them in return.

Shawn took some rather tame story assignments for the first couple months of the new year, but by March he was beginning to get anxious to hit the road. When his editor gave him the option of doing another boring local story and a story about some of the tribal wars in Central Africa, Shawn took the story in Africa. Gibbs took the news stoically.

"How long?"

"I'm not sure," Shawn said. "But it's not going to be a quick in and out. It'll take time to gain trust from some of these tribal leaders."

Gibbs grunted. He wanted to forbid Shawn from going and if that failed, he wanted to go with him to make sure his six was covered. But he couldn't do either of those things. So when Shawn left for the airport once again, Gibbs just kissed him and told him to be careful.

Phone calls were few and far between on this assignment. When he could, Shawn would call and they would try and hold onto the intimacy of calls from Shawn's earlier trips, but time and privacy were rare and sat-phone connections unreliable. They usually had to settle for quick exchanges that left both of them wanting to say more but unable.

"Tony and Zach are getting married in two weeks," Gibbs said when Shawn called at the beginning of June. He hadn't told many people of their relationship, but Gibbs thought it could be a coming out of sorts, a chance to introduce Shawn as his lover to the rest of the people in his life. Shawn knew how important it was to Gibbs, but apparently it wasn't important to Shawn.

"I know I said I thought I'd be back before then, but there've been some breaks in the story," Shawn told his lover. "You have no idea what kind of atrocities are occurring out here."

"Yes I do," Gibbs sighed. "It's been going on for generations. I've seen it firsthand. And I respect your desire to tell the story, but Shawn… you aren't going to change anything."

Shawn bristled at that and Gibbs knew he had said the wrong thing. "You're wrong about that."

"Come home," Gibbs said. "This isn't about tribal wars. You're running again."

Shawn was silent over the sat-phone and Gibbs wondered if the line had been lost. When Shawn did speak, his voice was quiet. "I told you I was a bad risk."

"You aren't a bad risk," Gibbs said. "I love you and I know you love me too. I wish I could make you see what I see when I look at you."

They hadn't said those particular words to each other, but it was always there between them when they were together. "I do love you, but I…"

Gibbs had no idea what Shawn would have said because the phone line went dead.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

Gibbs tried not to worry, but in the two weeks after that phone call, he hadn't heard from Shawn at all. In fact, even the occasional reports he got through other contacts had dried up as well. He didn't know where Shawn was or what had happened. What he did know was that something big was going down and Shawn was more than likely right in the thick of it. Unable to do anything, Gibbs concentrated on the wedding and doing all the things a best man is supposed to do. At Tony's bachelor party, if Gibbs had a lot more to drink than usual and brooded most of the night, no one complained.

The day of the wedding finally came and Jackson arrived from Stillwater. And Gibbs tried to forget the fact that he had planned on bringing Shawn as his date. One of Tony's frat brothers owned a rather large piece of property on a lake just outside of DC. The wedding and reception were being held there. It was a bright and sunny day, though the temperature was fairly moderate for June. An arch of flowers had been erected near the lake and the guests were seated around the arch. Gibbs watched as the seats filled and attempted to keep Tony calm.

"I can't believe you let me do this," Tony muttered. "What was I thinking? DiNozzo men are horrible husbands. This is the stupidest thing I've ever done."

"Suck it up DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "And you're wrong. You're nothing like your father and this is the smartest thing you've ever done."

"He deserves so much better," Tony said.

Gibbs smirked. "But he chose you."

Tony smiled then. "Yeah he did." His smile faded. "But what if I mess this up?"

"I'll head slap you and then help you fix it. But I'm not going to let you mess it up," Gibbs said. He looked out where the minister was signaling for the ceremony to begin. "Time to get this show on the road."

Tony followed Gibbs down the path to where the ceremony was to take place and they were soon standing under the arch. Zach and Hodgins came out a moment later and it seemed like all of the tension left Tony at the sight of his lover in his wedding suit. Gibbs smiled and shook his head.

Soon the ceremony had begun. While the two men exchanged their vows, Gibbs looked on stoically. He was happy for Tony and Zach, he really was, but he was also rather envious. They had each other and they were together. Gibbs couldn't really say that he had Shawn, and it had been months since they had been together. Right then, he couldn't even be sure that Shawn was alive. He hoped. He prayed that he was, but there was no way to know for sure, despite all the attempts he had made to get information on the missing reporter.

Gibbs sighed, but handed over the ring when the time was right. And then Tony and Zach were kissing and Gibbs had to smile at that. He was glad that they could have this even if he couldn't. The newly married couple headed down the aisle and Hodgins followed. Gibbs turned to do the same, but froze when he saw a familiar face standing at the back of the assembly.

"Shawn," Gibbs whispered. Suddenly he was moving and it was like everyone else had disappeared; all he could see was that face that he had come to love more than anything.

That face that was covered in bruises and had a rather prominent white bandage across its cheek. Gibbs slowed as he took in Shawn's appearance. His arm was in a sling and he looked more tired than Gibbs had ever seen him. He looked like he had been to hell and back, but he was alive and he was there. And he was smiling.

As Gibbs stepped up to his lover he said, "You look like crap."

Shawn raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Thanks."

"But you're still the best thing I have ever seen in my life," Gibbs finished. "What the hell happened?"

"It's a very long story," Shawn said. "And one I will gladly share with you, but right now, I just want to celebrate our friends' marriage and be with you. Is that okay?"

"More than okay," Gibbs said. He carefully took Shawn into his arms and kissed him, uncaring of who was watching.

When they broke apart, Shawn grinned at the wolf whistles they received. "I think we're causing a scene."

"Don't give a damn," Gibbs said and kissed his lover again.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

The reception was nice. They had set up a tent overlooking the lake and there was plenty of champagne and dancing. Gibbs made his toast to the happy couple, but his eyes were on Shawn as he spoke of love and devotion and a happiness to last a lifetime. Afterwards, they danced and despite Shawn's slight limp, they both reveled in being able to hold each other once again.

"Glad to see you with us again," Tony told Shawn when Gibbs left his side to get drinks for them. "Gibbs has been worried."

"I know," Shawn said and there was guilt in his voice. "I never meant to… I mean, I know how hard it must have been to let me go like that."

Tony smiled kindly at the younger man. "He's tough, but not unbreakable. You make him happier than I have ever seen him, but you also have the power to destroy him."

Shawn nodded. "I'm going to do my best not to hurt him any more than I already have."

"I guess that's the most any of us can promise," Tony said. "You're a good man Shawn. I can tell that you love him. Just make sure he knows it too."

Tony left to dance with his husband and soon Gibbs returned with cake for the two of them. "What was that about?"

"Being vetted," Shawn said with bemusement. "I think I might have passed."

"I'm sure you did," Gibbs said. "Tony's a good judge of character. I know he can see what I see."

"What do you see?" Shawn wondered. He had been wondering that since their interrupted phone call.

"I see a very brave and intelligent man who has had more pain in his life than most," Gibbs said. "I see a man who loves with his whole heart and deserves love more than anyone I know but doesn't know how to accept it. I see the man I love and want to spend the rest of my life with."

Shawn's eyes filled with tears and he swiped at them. "Thank you."

**GHGHGHGHGH**

Gibbs drove Shawn home not long after Tony and Zach left the reception. The young man was obviously physically and emotionally drained. Gibbs wasn't sure what he had gone through, but he knew it was bad. He let Shawn chatter about the people at the wedding and the surprise that many of Gibbs' colleagues had expressed because he knew that Shawn wasn't ready to have that promised talk.

"Abby's reaction was the best," Shawn laughed. "I thought she was going to murder you."

"My arm is a little sore," Gibbs said. Abby had hit him repeatedly for not telling her about his relationship with Shawn. Even so, she was happy for them.

"Yeah well, I'm just glad she was mad at you and not me," Shawn said. "She's scary."

Gibbs chuckled at that. "She can be. To some."

"Not to you," Shawn said.

"No, not to me," Gibbs agreed.

They pulled up to the house and wearily climbed from the car. Shawn held his arm and winced in pain as the movement caused it to shift uncomfortably. "You need to take you pain meds."

"Yeah," Shawn agreed. "But they make me loopy. I won't be able to concentrate on our conversation."

"Our conversation can wait another few hours," Gibbs said as he led Shawn up to their bedroom. "Pain meds and sleep, and then we can talk in the morning."

Shawn reluctantly agreed and allowed Gibbs to help him undress and climb beneath the covers. Gibbs said nothing when he saw the large gash on Shawn's upper arm. Once he had taken his pain pills and antibiotics, and Gibbs had climbed in beside him, Shawn finally allowed himself to relax. With Gibbs' arms around him, he drifted off to the most peaceful sleep he'd had in months.

"I'm glad you're home," Gibbs whispered into the darkness before he too dropped off to sleep.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

Shawn awoke when the sun was already high in the sky. He wasn't surprised to find that Jethro was not still in bed. The older man was never one to laze about in bed. Carefully, Shawn got up and headed for the shower. He honestly felt a hundred times better this morning. His arm still hurt, but the swelling had gone down and most of the aches and pains that had been plaguing him for days had finally faded. It seemed nothing was better for healing than being in the arms of the man you loved.

Once dressed, Shawn headed down the stairs and found Gibbs in the kitchen preparing lunch. Shawn went over and kissed him before taking a seat at the table to watch his lover prepare soup and sandwiches for the two of them.

"So, you ready to talk?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," Shawn said. "The day you called, we were cut off because a bomb went off in the compound. The tribe I was with made a run for it and I was forced to go with them. It was a three days of traveling at night and hiding during the day. They were heading for an allied village but there was more than one fire fight along the way. Unfortunately, when we got to the village, it had been taken out as well."

Shawn shook his head as he tried to chase away the images burned in his brain. "It was a bloodbath. When the dust settled, they decided to keep me alive and trade me to the government for more guns. Two days later, there was another battle, only this time it was UN forces. Mark and I were rescued, but not before more than thirty men were killed."

"How were you injured?" Gibbs asked.

"In the initial explosion," Shawn shrugged.

Gibbs knew that meant that Shawn had been bleeding and in pain for days before receiving any medical assistance.

"I spent the next few days in a hospital in Moundou," Shawn said. "I don't remember much about that time. I was pretty out of it with fever from infection. They got that under control before transporting me to France. I spent another day there, and then came home."

Gibbs knew that what Shawn wasn't saying was that he had probably done so against doctor's orders.

"Ducky will be here in an hour to look you over," Gibbs said as he sat down across from Shawn at the table. He wouldn't reprimand Shawn for coming home or leaving the hospital. He would have done the same in his position. But he did want to be sure that he really was healing.

Shawn nodded his acceptance of Gibbs' concern. "It wasn't the first time I was in a situation like that, not knowing if I was going to live or die. But when I was out there, something was different this time."

"What?" Gibbs asked as he took Shawn's hand in his.

"I used to think about the fact that Corey and Topanga would probably miss me if I died," Shawn said. "I know that they would be sad but they have their lives and they would go on. This time I thought about all the things I would miss if I died. I'd miss seeing my godson born. I would miss Tony's wedding. Mostly I thought of all the years I would never have to be with you. This time I thought about what I would be losing. And I realized that you're right."

Shawn took a deep breath. "I was running away because I was afraid. I've been left behind so many times that it just got easier to be the one who leaves. And I was afraid that if I stuck around you'd eventually leave too."

"I'm not going anywhere," Gibbs said quietly.

"I know that now," Shawn said in an equally hushed tone. "I spoke to my editor and I put in notice."

Gibbs frowned. "I never asked for you to give up your career."

Shawn smiled wearily. "I know. And I'm not giving it up, not really. When I started writing, it was because it was something I needed to do to express myself, but it was also because I had things I wanted to share. I wanted to see the world and tell the stories that most people miss. Somehow, I lost sight of that. I want to get back to that dream. So I decided to leave the _Post_ and do some freelance writing again, see if I can make a name for myself writing about something other tragedy and war. Maybe I'll even work on a book about the people I've met through my travels.

"I've been paid well over the years and I've invested most of what I've earned," Shawn continued. "No need to spend money when the paper covered all my expenses, and they paid pretty well, considering the hazards I faced. I've got enough put away that I could go for a few years without working if it comes to that."

Gibbs snorted. "Sounds like you've got it all worked out."

Shawn nodded. "I had a lot of time to think these past two weeks." He paused tentatively. "I was hoping I could set up an office in the den here."

"Wouldn't want you to be anywhere else," Gibbs said. He stood from his seat without releasing Shawn's hand and pulled the younger man into his arms. "Welcome home."

When their lips met, Shawn thought to himself that this really was home. Gibbs' arms, his love, this quiet peace that they shared was what he had been looking for all along.

**GHGHGHGHGH**

"It has been another really interesting year," Tony said to Gibbs two weeks later over beer in Gibbs' basement. Tony had shown up at Gibbs' after he and Zack had returned from their honeymoon. Shawn had smirked at the love bites all over Tony's neck before directing him to the basement. Gibbs still spent his days off with the boat while Shawn worked in the den. That Saturday was no different

"Very," Gibbs agreed and then took a long swallow of beer.

"I can't believe you and Shawn are settling down," Tony said with a smile and took another drink of his beer.

"He's a good man," Gibbs said. "And I'm lucky to have him."

"He's lucky to have you," Tony countered.

Gibbs looked slightly uncomfortable with the praise. "Maybe."

"Any chance of another wedding?" Tony asked. "I'm sure Jackson would love to be there."

Gibbs shrugged. "I don't know. Right now, we're just enjoying what we have. I think his family would like a wedding, but they won't push. Neither will dad. We'll do it if and when he says it's what he wants."

Tony grinned. "I'm amazed you'd even consider it. It really must be love."

Gibbs smiled in return. "It is. It definitely is. The kind that lasts a lifetime."

**The End**


End file.
